GNATT Pizza, Vancouver, Canada
June 9, 1995

Hello everyone!!

Today David Scwarze, his lovely partner Shelley, and Pete Sellers rolled 
into Vancouver for the Official Vancouver GNATT Pizza Lunch.  Christa and 
I arrived at Coach's Corner Pizza about 20 minutes early, and found 
David, Shelley, and Pete already in the parking lot.  We pulled in 
honked, and went over to welcome the gang to Vancouver (well, ok, Burnaby).

Many thanks to Harry Yates for recommending this venue--it was absolutely 
perfect!  Great pizza, very friendly staff, and easy access from the 
freeway for our out-of-town friends.  Unfortunately, Harry was not able 
to make it, as he had received some time off and had headed East to do 
some camping in the Kootenays the night before.  

David's '73 Safare Custom camper was even more amazing than when I saw it 
last at the Big Sur, CA meet in January.  His solar panels were pretty 
trick, he has a CB on the dash just below the headlight switch, and (eat 
your heart out, Martha) he has a working microwave!  In fact, both David 
AND Pete have microwaves in their vehicles, although I'm not sure if 
Pete's needs "shore power" to operate.  Pete's Eurovan was really nice, 
with an awning, add-a-room type tent, and a 2.5L five cylider 
powerplant.  Sounded pretty smooth, and Pete was zipping around real 
fast.  Pete also managed to load his car with an unbelievable amount of 
stuff, and he was hauling all this stuff around the country.  Did I 
mention the microwave?  Pete was a long way from home: he started for 
BBTA from his home in Virginia May 24.

As it was an unbearably hot day (well, 78 F is a heat wave in 
Vancouver!), we decided to retire to the restaurant and talk over some 
brews.  A few minutes later, Sailboarder-guy Mark Sadul pulls up in his 
'78 Transporter, complete with mast on the roof and board inside!  Mark 
joins us, and we have Spring Pale Ales all around.  Christa, Shelley and 
I split a vegitarian pizza, David and Mark split one with meat stuff on 
it, and Pete just couldn't resist the Halibut and Chips.  Good VW travel 
talk all around.  Christa and I show the others our US/Mex/Canada Big 
Trip photo album to the others, and it is well received.  Then it's time 
to pay up and move back to the parking lot to stick our noses in everyone 
else's buses.

I covet the Schwarzemeister's BBTA Longest Distance Driven Award he has 
on his dashboard.  Maybe next year C and I will go and pick one up!  
After much poking about, Mark leaves to go back to work :( .  The others 
would like to see a little bit of vancouver while they're in town, so we 
caravan to my place in the West End, where we drop off Christa 'cause she 
has to catch some zzzz before working later that night.  Because it's 
mid-afternoon by now, we decide it would by silly to drive toward 
Tsawwassen for the ferry to vancouver Island now, since they would only 
get stuck in Friday afternoon rush hour and sit in their cars stuck in 
traffic for a couple (or more) hours.

We drive down to Sunset Beach and take the False Creek Ferry to Granville 
Island for some sightseeing and shopping.  Shelley buys a candle and hand 
bag, Pete buys Salmon Jerky and Smoked Salmon.  We return to Sunset 
Beach, and try to call Alistair Bell to tell him GNATT is runninglate.  
No dice; can't find his number.  Pete decides to head south to Whidbey 
Island, maybe to meet up with david again at Port Angeles the next day.  
david and Shelley decide to crash Alistair's place even if they can't 
warn him they're late (or even that they're coming at all!).  

We caravan out of the city towards Hwy 99 in moderate traffic.  I pull 
off at the entrace to the Oak Street Bridge, and wave them on south.  Way 
to go, GNATT!!

I encourage everyone remotely close to the GNATT route to try an join up, 
even if it's just for a few miles.  The GNATT route and schedule should 
be in the list archives, and is also on David's web homepage (sorry, don't 
have the address handy right now).  

A great day with great folks.  Let's do it again sometime!

Tobin

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Tobin T. Copley                  Currently               =============
(604) 689-2660                    Occupationally        /_| |__||__| :| putta
tobin@freenet.vancouver.bc.ca      Challenged!         O|             | putta
                                                        '-()-------()-'
Circum-continental USA, Mexico, Canada 15,000 miles... '76 VW Camper! (Mango)